1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to decorative candles and more specifically to candles which include a decorative, combustible material.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, it has been desirable to decorate candles with a variety of materials to add a texture, scent, or additional decorative features. Candles have been decorated with stones, potpourri, and a variety of other particulate materials, such as cocoa powder. Other types of decorations which have been desirable have included messages on paper and the like. Many of these materials can catch fire when exposed to a flaming wick. Examples of references which disclose the desirability of including these types of materials are the patents to Cassimatis, U.S. Pat. No. 2,122,451; Weglin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,817,225; Frederics, U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,876; Lundbom, U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,677; Pitchford, U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,640; and Karp, U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,233, as well as the design patents to Seaver, U.S. Design Pat. No. 111,775; McKenzie et al., U.S. Design Pat. No. 178,200; Kranz, U.S. Design Pat. No. 173,759; and Osland et al., U.S. Design Pat. No. 370,067.
A problem which has been found when this type of material is used in a candle is that the decorative, combustible material added to the candle can come into contact with the flame when the candle is burning, thereby causing a fire. Of particular note is the problem that wax or other fuel which is used to make the candle can melt away from the combustible material, allowing the combustible material to fall into the pool of molten fuel which is near the flame. When this occurs, the combustible material can fall into or float to a position near the flame and either catch fire or become a secondary wick supporting an additional flame, which is undesirable and unsafe.
A possible, but impractical, solution to these problems would be to use candles that include this type of material only as decorative articles and not burn them. However, since a primary purpose of candles is to generate light, such a solution would be unacceptable to consumers.
Another possible solution is to cover the combustible material by a non-flammable shielding, such as was shown in the above-cited Pitchford disclosure. However, such a design would be unattractive in the majority of cases, as the non-flammable material would become exposed during the burning of the candle. Since candles have a decorative purpose, an unattractive candle is not a practical option.
Another option is to avoid combustible materials in a candle, such as was done by Lundbom. However, this solution is really not a solution at all, since it is desirable to use some combustible materials in a candle because of their aesthetic value.
Yet another option is to design the candle such that the wax does not burn to the edges, such as was shown in the above-cited patent to Karp. While this may be workable in some instances, it creates waste which is not desirable. In addition, a cylinder of wax surrounding the lit wick is not desirable and may cause the candle to burn improperly. The use of such a design can also create problems for a user who may be unable to light the candle once it burns down several inches.
A modification to this type of solution is found in some candles currently sold commercially. This modified configuration includes a translucent, non-combustible sleeve which is positioned in a candle between the core, which includes the wick and comprises the burnable portion of the candle, and an exterior layer which includes a combustible material combined with a fuel. However, this type of candle does not fully solve the flashover problem and is difficult to manufacture.
What is needed, therefore, is a candle which is designed such that a combustible material can be used as a decorative feature on a candle with a minimum risk of ignition while minimizing the probability of the flashover. The present invention minimizes that risk.
The candle of the present invention solves these and other problems by separating the burning wick from the combustible material by the insertion of a sleeve and in one type of embodiment by raising one end of the wick above the base of the candle. The candle includes a fuel core including a wick which extends a selected distance downwardly from the top surface of the core. A protective sleeve, which is preferably translucent, surrounds the fuel core by extending substantially the selected distance from the top surface of the core. A combustible material surrounds at least a portion of the sleeve.
A fill composition, such as a candle fuel, is interspersed around the combustible material and secures the combustible material to the sleeve or core. The fill composition is a fluent material which, when poured around the decorative combustible material, at least partially surrounds or encases the decorative combustible material and preferably fills voids between pieces of decorative combustible material. The fill composition is not significantly fluent at normal candle operating temperatures. The fill composition may be candle wax or other candle fuel. Alternatively, it may be a non-flammable material or a flame-retardant material.
The core may be a short-wicked candle or alternatively may include a first portion which rests atop a second portion. The first portion is preferably a candle and the second portion is preferably a riser. The riser preferably takes the form of a block of wax. But, in some embodiments it may advantageously be a block of nonflammable material, such as glass, ceramic or metal. The sleeve preferably surrounds the first portion or candle and rests atop the second portion or riser.
The method of making the candle incorporates the use of a mold. The core is placed in a mold. The mold is sufficiently larger than the core that the core is spaced from the sides of the mold. The core includes a wick which extends a selected distance from a top surface of the core. A protective sleeve is then placed in surrounding relationship to the fuel core, and the protective sleeve extends and surrounds the fuel core substantially a selected distance from the top surface of the core. A decorative combustible material is then filled into the space between the sides of the mold and the core until at least a portion of the sleeve is surrounded with the combustible material. A fill composition is then poured into the space between the sides of the mold and the sleeve and core to intersperse the fill composition around the combustible material.
The step of placing the core in the mold may comprise placing a short-wicked candle in the mold. Alternatively, the step of placing the core in the mold may comprise placing a riser in the mold, then placing a candle on the riser. The riser may also be poured in place.
In an alternative embodiment, the candle includes a fuel core including a wick, a combustible material, and sleeve which substantially surrounds the fuel core and which is at least partially surrounded by the combustible material. The sleeve includes a plurality of holes which are impassable to the combustible material. The sleeve extends substantially from about a top surface of the fuel core to about the bottom surface of the fuel core. In one alternative embodiment, the wick extends only a selected distance from about the top surface of the fuel core. However, because the combustible material cannot pass through the holes in the sleeve, the wick may also extend substantially from about a top surface of the fuel core to about the bottom surface of the fuel core.
To make this embodiment of the candle, the sleeve, which has a plurality of holes therethrough, is placed in a mold, thereby separating the mold into inner and outer generally concentric portions. The combustible material is then poured into at least the outer portion. A fill composition is then poured into at least one of the portions of the mold and passes through the holes in the sleeve, thereby at least partially filling, and sometimes substantially filling, each of the portions. In one alternative method, a wick is suspended in the inner portion of the mold and the fill composition is poured into the inner portion. In a second alternative method, a core candle is placed within the sleeve before the fill composition is poured into the outer portion of the mold. The fill composition is then added, underfilling the inner portion of the mold beneath the core candle and substantially filling the outer portion of the mold. In a third alternative method, the fill composition is poured into one of the portions to partially fill each of the portions. This forms a riser in the bottom of the inner portion. Then a core candle is placed in the inner portion of the mold on top of the riser. Finally, an additional quantity of the fill composition is poured into the outer portion of the mold to substantially fill the outer portion.
In yet another embodiment, the candle includes a sleeve having a top and a bottom, and a fuel core substantially surrounded by the sleeve and extending into the sleeve a selected distance from the top of the sleeve. Because the selected distance is spaced from the bottom of the sleeve, a cavity is formed. The cavity may be filled with air or may be at least partially filled with a non-flammable solid, such as ceramic or glass. The candle may also include a base adjacent the bottom of the sleeve. A combustible material may surround at least a portion of the sleeve and a fill composition may be interspersed around the combustible material.
The use of this process and product will reduce the probability of any of the combustible material falling into the pool of molten wax which forms when this type of candle is lit. The flame and the molten wax will remain separated from the combustible material. In addition, the use of the riser tends to minimize the risk of flashover. Thereby, the risk of fire when this type of candle is used is greatly reduced.